The Citizen, 2002-10-09, Page 1FOR-H HURON PUBLISHING COMPANY INC
Inside this week
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Volume 18 No. 39 Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2002 75 Cents (70c + 5c GST)
Lunch and a tour
Bronwyn Saxon enjoys a hot dog before taking in the annual fall colour tour held this past
Sunday at the Wawanosh Nature Centre. Visitors could have a look at the information in the
education facility, then be taken on a horse-drawn wagon ride of the Centre's fields and
woodlots. Bronwyn is the granddaughter of John and Marg Saxon of Cranbrook. (Vicky Bremner
photo)
N. Huron reeve looks ahead
Toastmasters pg
•
gather at Dunedin
n 4 MVCA gets
rg• ki planning award
pg 8 Tug-of-war team
gets bronze
County learns Pg. ih about new
regulations
Students
Pg. 23 participate in
workshop
Blyth
gets civic
pride
award
The results are in for the 2002
Communities in Bloom Challenge
and while the joint entry from Blyth
and Wingham in the Canadian
Classics division did not earn top
spot, they did earn a total of nine
blooms out of 10.
Blyth repeated its five bloom
performance, receiving an award for
civic pride.
Wingham earned four blooms and
was recognized for the Horticultural
Society's projects.
Langley and Williams Lake, B.C.
won top honours in the category.
There were also three other
entries.
Goderich earned five blooms in
the America in Bloom competition
and received an award for the
Rotary Cove project.
Subdivision
meeting set
for Oct. 15
For all those interested or
concerned about ,the proposed
subdivision at the western limit of
Brussels along Morris Rd., a public
meeting will be held Oct. 15 in the
Huron East council chambers.
The proposed amendment to the
official plan could see the
construction of homes where
Maitside Orchards once stood.
Acre T Farms, which purchased
the land, has 'suggested creating 25
to 30 large residential lots on the
18.1 acres within the village limits,
including a 190,000 square foot
parkland area along the river.
The 22 acres. in Morris-Turnberry
would remain as farmland.
Anyone may make -a verbal or
written submissiOn at the meeting.
which begins at 7 p.m.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
As the council of 'North Huron
prepares to enter the final year of its
term, a strategic planning meeting
was held to consider some further
steps towards functioning as a
unified municipality.
14eve Doug Layton said that the
committee structure was the key
issue on the agenda. "We have been
talking about this for over a year," he
said, explaining-that the idea was to
-get away from smaller meetings.
"These often took half an hour and
didn't really accomplish a lot," said
Layton.
What it- means is that many
smaller committees will be put into a
committee which takes in the entire
municipality, not individual wards.
For example the Belgrave and Blyth
arenas will now be included with the
North Huron Wescast Complex
under recreation and facilities.
for
long-range
is a better opportunity for
long-range planning," said Layton.
"It's also better use of councillors'
and staff's time."
The major boards remain
unchanged.
Such a step is in keeping with
council's goal for North Huron, said
Layton. He explained that in the first
year of council's term everything
was new, including the councillors
to each other. "We spent a lot of time
getting to know our fellow
councillors."
Also, time was spent in winding
up the work for the new complex in
the Wingham Ward.
Amalgamation was made easier
for council in that first year, said
Layton because of the transition
team. "They did a tremendous job.
They had a lot of things worked out
and I am pleased with the way things
went. We were on the right track that
year."
In 2001-2002, council has been
dealing with the Blyth arena project,
something Layton said, for which
they have been in total support. "I
really believe two ice pads and
facilities like Blyth's and the North
Huron complex are a win-win
Situation both for sports and the
economy."
In these first two years:
amalgamation has seemingly kept
council busy with the day-to-day
operations within the three wards.
"This does take a lot of time at
council meetings," admitted Layton.
"But the way the three wards have
worked together is something I am
quite happy with. Everyone has
learned to give and take. They are
striving to work as one and all of
council can appreciated the issues
that arise in other wards."
Layton admits that some questions
are a little tougher to answer. For
example a request for funding for
attracting doctors to the Wingham
hospital, prompted a comment from
a councillor about the fact that many.
North Huron residents see
physicians in S.aforth and Clinton.
"These are some of the things we
have to get out to the public who
come to us for money. We now have
at least three hospitals that people in
this township go to."
Soon to be entering the third year
of his term, this message is part of
the goal he sees for council. "To see
North Huron as one community.
This would include the boards and
committees and see equal
representation from each area."
That would include any outlying
areas served by the boards, such as
Continued on page 6
Anti-
smoking
bylaw
on the
way
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
A series of public meetings and
meetings with stakeholders will be
held during the consultation process
for the preparation of a new county
bylaw to prohibit smoking in public
places and workplaces.
But the meetings will be
consultations on how to implement
the bylaw,' not on whether there
should be a bylaw, several
councillors were quick to explain at
Thursday's session of county
council.
"To me it says the decision has
been made," said Lin Steffler,
Huron East councillor, noting the
motion approved by county council
was for a bylaw to be prepared.
"The consultation is on
implementation."
South Huron Councillor Dave
Urlin said four meetings are
planned with concerned groups
such as bar, restaurant, bingo and
casino operators as well as public
meetings.
Goderich Councillor Ellen
Connelly said bar and restaurant
owners in her town had expressed
concern to her about the potential
loss of business once the dinner
hour is over. "Drinking and
smoking go hand in hand," she said
they told her. "They will actively
get together across the county to see
what they can do," she said of the
bar owners.
But Warden Ben Van Diepenbeek
said, the only public response he has
had was from those who
encouraged him to go ahead with
the bylaw and not back down.
After hearing about the public
meetings scheduled, however,
Bluewater Councillor Paul Klopp
noted, "I'm glad I'm not on that
committee.-
_ • Citizen
open
Monday
It will be turkey on Sunday for
Citizen staff. as the Blyth office
remains open on Thanksgiving
Monday.
There will, however, be a small
change in deadline. Advertising and
editorial copy will need to be at the
Brussels office in time for pick up at
noon on Monday. Oct. 14. Items can
be slipped under the door.
Deadline for Blyth will also be
noon.
ffip o ce